The K553 Pro has a swivel mechanism that allows the leatherette covered ear cups (replaceable) to be exactly adjusted to my head. The swivel design also allows them to be packed flat for non-use, storage or when traveling. While wearing them, the swivel mechanism lets you pull the ear cups away from your head and then swivel them towards the front to immediately hear someone talk in the room--all without removing them.

And I didn't remove them much during a recent mix session here at my Tones 4 $ Studios. At my mix position, I use an Aphex HeadPod™ headphone station with four separate amps and volume controls. I compared the K553 Pros to two other popular sets of headphones from two other companies. One pair is priced at about the same as the K553 Pro while the other model costs twice as much.

All three had impedances in the vicinity of the K553 Pros, 32-ohms so the volume controls on the individual HeadPod channels were all the same as was the sound level inside of the headphones.

I found the K553 Pros had good subsonic reproduction with a clear sound--especially when cranked up loud as would be needed in the studio for overdubbing or tracking. The similar priced model was "voiced" for a brighter sound while the AKG K553 Pros had a flatter response like the more expensive model.

Clearly, I could mix music well on the AKG K553 Pro headphones without compromise or hearing fatigue. Between these three headphones, the K553 Pros are the most comfortable to wear--they are a little lighter weight, sealed better on my head, sound awesome and make a great addition to mine or any studio!